Shower shockers Who doesn’t do some of their best thinking in the shower? And who doesn’t recall the terrifying shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 thriller, Psycho? Janet Leigh is unwinding after a harried day of larceny, an eerie encounter with a creepy character, and is lulled as she finally cleans up, letting her guard […]
Moaning and Groaning. COOL Complaint Zoning?
The Complaint Department is Open! But today, I’m also in search of silver linings, if you happen to have any in sight. Mine? Wimbledon Week 2 is here! And that helps everything, even though I missed last week’s incredible 11-hour match with its extraordinary 70-68 fifth set! So here is my contribution to Monday morning […]
The Travel Twin
I really don’t have an evil twin. It just feels like it some days. And then there’s this: I think an evil twin would come in handy. Of course, I would endow her with a complex persona, not just character flaws and secret longings. She’d be my polished pinch-hitter (for whatever I dislike), my cocky […]
Al and Tipper Gore: What do you think?
Al and Tipper Gore Unless you’ve been living under a rock, by now you’ve heard the term gray divorce, likely in conjunction with the news that Al and Tipper Gore are splitting up after 40 years. Of course, the original announcement was followed by a claim that Al Gore’s marital defection was in fact the […]
The Best Laid Plans
Our best laid plans? Life has other ideas.
Where everyone knows your name
Cheers Bar It was afternoon. Late. I had to get out of the house. See people. Something different. Anything. And it was Friday. I had been chicken a week earlier. Unable to talk myself into an elegant bar just 20 yards in front of me. I wasn’t going to be chicken again, but I needed […]
Real Drama: Real Housewives NY Reunion Recap
I would say “I couldn’t help myself,” but I don’t care for that expression. I could chalk it up to needing to stay plugged into pop culture as a selfless act of serious journalism, but I don’t think you’d buy it. Instead, I’ll cop to my addiction to Real Housewives of New York City, and […]
Books, files, clothes, shoes: My life in the closet
It’s Saturday morning. I’m sipping coffee in the living room. Pouting. Glaring at two red chairs heaped with files and books and mail. I’m trying to will the mess away. So far, not so good. . . Nearby is an 8-pack of paper towels, a 12-pack of toilet paper, along with my sandals, my kid’s […]
If It Ain’t Broke. . . Break It?
Sure, sure. We all know the saying. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. And most of the time, it makes sense. Why mess with a good thing, right? In fact, I’m a proponent of the “if it aint’ broke” crowd in many circumstances, especially in relationships. For example, I won’t be pushed to a […]
How to recognize value
It’s been a lovely afternoon of wandering the flea market, enjoying the crowd and the diversity of antiques and vintage curiosities. You pick up a small silver fork and wonder why its tongs curve outward so delicately. You turn it over, note a hallmark of some sort, feel its weight in your hand, then glance […]